I obtained my PhD in Biology at the University of Alcalá in 2004. My main goal was the identification of molecular markers associated with resistance genes in Avena. As a postdoc, I worked at the National Center for Biotechnology (CSIC) in Madrid, where I investigated disease resistance mechanisms in Arabidopsis thaliana; my emphasis was in part on the oxylipin pathway, which is critical for resistance to necrotrophic pathogens and insects. Before moving to Riverside, my work was focused on the role of proteasome-mediated turnover of ABA receptors. At UCR I’ve acquired experienced in preparing Illumina DNA libraries using small quantities of insect DNA and improved my skills in the analysis of RNAseq data sets using R programming language. As part of the Cassava Whitefly Project, I will be preparing RNAseq libraries from different cassava cultivars and landraces, as well as analyzing the data obtained from its sequencing to identify the genes that underlie whitefly resistance in South American cultivars and African landraces.